Method of making expanded polyurethane polymer



2,921,905 METHOD or MAKING EXPANDED POLYURETHANE POLYMER Charles F. Eckert, Westwood; NJZ, assignor to United.

States Rubber Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey g 0 Application December '31, 1957 Serial No. 706,264

SCIaims. (Cl. 260-Z.5),

No Drawing.

.Thisinvention relates to a method of making an'ex panded, cured elastomeric polyurethane polymer (by which is meant an elastomeric, cross-linked, polyether or polyester modified by reaction with an organic diisocyanate) and more particularly to a method of male.

ing low-density sponge of said elastomeric polymer. This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 464,905, filed October 26, 1954, and now abandoned.

Elastomeric, synthetic polyurethane polymers have recently become important as new rubbery materials.

Suchconventional polymers are described in'detail in anarticle by O. Bayer et al. which appeared in Rubber Chemistry and Technology, volume 23, pages 812-835.

(1950), and elsewhere in the patent and technical literature. As is' now well-known, the elastomeric synthetic droxyl groups.

. 2,927,905 7 Patented Mar. 8, 1960 urethane elastomers, this feature of the invention is also conventional, and requires no detailed elaboration here. It may be mentioned that preferred materials are the conventional polyalkylene .polyethers with terminal hy- Many such compounds may be represented by the formula H O(RO),,I I, in which R is typii this type may be made by the polymerization of an alkylene epoxy compound, such as ethylene oxide or 1,2-

cally a divalent alkylene radical, and n is an integer such that the average molecular weight of the material (which due to its method of manufacture usually comprises a mixture of molecules of different sizes) lies between 900 and 6000. 'As is well kno'wmcompounds of propylene oxide (orof amixture of such epoxy compounds) in the presence of an initiating bifunctional compound HR'H containing two hydrogen atoms reactive with the epoxy'compound. Examples of such initiating "compounds are dialcohols H(OR O)H, such as ethylene glycol 1,6-hexanediol etc., and diprimary aliphatic amines, such asethylene diamine, 1,6-hexane diamine, etc.'; other types of initiatingi cornpounds are well known to those skilled in the art. This invention is not restricted to tially the formula shown, it will be-understood that in practice thepolymer chain also contains units other than polyurethanes are capable when cured of beingextended.

to more than-200% and of returning rapidly toapproxik may be mentioned here by way of illustration that a preferred polyester is a linear polymeric. polyester (i. e an alkyd) prepared from a glycol material (for. example, from a mixture of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol) and an aliphatic saturated'dicarboxylic acid (for example, adipic acid),.an excess of glycol over acid being used. so'that the resulting polyester chains are terminated predominantly by alcoholic hydroxyl groups. Usually'such an amount of glycol is used as to give a polyester having a hydroxyl number of 20 to 120, preferably of 36/ to 67, and a low' acid value, lessthan 2 and preferably less than 1.' The molecular weight of ,the polyester preferably ranges from 1700 to3000. Sometimes it is advantageous to include a small amount of a trifunctional'alcohol in. the'prepa'ration, although the resulting polyester is still essentially a linear product; This'polyester is' then reacted with an organic 'diisocyanate, a considerable excess of the diisocyanate being used,commonly from 20% to 250%, preferably from 50% to with --all of the alcoholic hydroxyl groups of the poly-' ester. The reaction is effected by heating a mixture of the polyester and the diisocyauate under anhydrous con ditions at an elevated temperature, e.g., 70-150 ,C., to

form a soluble, uncured, liquid material which is'a linear polyurethane, having 'unreacted terminal isocyanate groups. 0

Regardingthe polycthers used in preparingpolyi 100%, more diisocyanate than would be required to react diphenylene diisocyanate, .and 1,5*naphthalene diisocya- ,the linkage due to the initiating compound.

In general it';may be stated that both the preferred polyesters and preferred polyethers. have in common the feature of having alcoholic hydroxyl terminal groups (by whichllof course mean that the material hasJsubstantially exclusiveliyalcoholic hydroxyl terminal groups) in their molecules-, and they have an averagemolecular weight of from to 6000 (preferably 1500 to 3000). The hydroxyl number is defined as the weight in milligrams of potassium hydroxide equivalent to the alcoholic hydroxyl content of one gram of material. Thus for the dihydroxy polyesters and polyethers, the following relationship exists between hydroxyl number and molecular weight (neglecting anyresidual acid groups in the polyesters) i l Wig hydroxyl number 1 1 The following figures shew typical. values for molecular weight and hydroxyl number:

MolecularWeighti -f.. 'l i 1500 3000 HydroxylNo 125 s7 Thediisocyanate 'used in'preparing the polyurethane materials used in the invention may'of course be any diisocyanate conventionally used for 'this purpose, as

illustrated, for example, in the publication above referred to, or in US. Patent No. 2,814,834 of Hess et al., D cemher 3, 1957. .Typical diisocyanates that are conventronally employed (as represented by the formula TQCN-f-R-NCO ,isoc'yanat'eycycloalkane diisocyanates such as cyclohexane 1,4-diisocya'nate; and aromatic diisocyanates such as mand'ip-diisocyanatobenzenes, tolylene diisocyanates, 1MP? 3,3'-bitolylene-4,4'-diisocyanate CH5 CH3 Limited amounts of triisocyanates'rnay be used.

Itwould be understoodthat more than one polyester and v (or a polyester made from more than one glycol or more than one acid) and/or more than one polyether (which may in turn be mixed polyethers), aswell as more than one polyisocyanate, can be used in practicing the inven-. tion. Frequently the molecular proportion of diisocyanate to polyester or polyether ranges from 1.2 to 1 to' 5, to 1 (preferably 1.5v to 1 to 3 to l).

The problem of making cured elastomeric sponge of. low density from a liquid adduct of polyester 0r polyether and diisocyanate of the type described above has arisen. As is known to'those:skilled in the art, the admixture of a small amount of water with such a polyurethane intermediate causes the formation of carbon dioxide which in turn causes the material to expand. When the evolution of carbon dioxide is complete, the reaction product has been converted to a semi-rigid, spongy state and can be cured with heat. sponge has. a density of 0.3 gram/cc. or more and is hard. 1

In attempting to make sponge of a lower density, I have added a variety of blowing agents to the liquid diisocyanate:polyester or polyether adduct. Among the blowing agents which I have tried are the followingt hydrogen peroxide, ammonium carbonate, diazoaminobenzene, and sodium bicarbonate. All of these chemicals were unsatisfactory for one reason or another. Thus, for example, thermal decomposition ofsodium bicarbonate in the liquid intermediate caused some expansion, but most of the carbon dioxide evolved was lost, probably because of the low viscosity of the intermediate atthe decomposition temperature (130'? C.) of the sodium bicarbonate. Attempts to decompose the sodium bicarbonate with acid were unsuccessful because the acid inhibited the cure although the expansion was adequate. The other blowing agents. mentioned were unsatisfactory because they reacted with the intermediateand prevented it from curing properly.

I have unexpectedly found that a solution of analkali metal nitrite in water is an excellent blowing agent forv liquid polyester or polyether-and-diisocyanate reaction products of the type described. above.

In practicing my invention I can use any alkali metal nitrite. However, economic considerations make only potassium and sodium nitrite commercially feasible for use in my invention.

In practicing my invention I generally employ from 6 a solution, made by dissolving the nitrite in an equal 7 weight of water.

- Generally speaking, in. the practice'ofmy invention I intimately incorporate the aqueous solution of the nitrite with the liquid'adduct, expand the resulting mix-.

ture, and thereafter heat the. expanded mixture at an el e.

The cured vated temperature to complete curing of the spongy elastomeric polyurethane polymer formed by the reaction. The water serves as initiator of both the crosslinking and the expansion reactions which finally result in the formation of a material resembling vulcanized natural rubber sponge. The water is thus an essential element in my invention- In applying my invention to a liquid diisocyanatezpolyester or polyether adduct, I find it convenient to heat the liquid adduct to render it sufliciently fluid to enable uniform dispersion of the aqueous solution of the nitrite therethrough without difliculty. It will. be understood that the reaction product has an extremely high viscosity at room temperature, its consistencyresembling that of heavy molasses, and that its viscosity decreases with heating. As soon as the aqueous alkali metal nitrite solution has been dispersed in the liquid reaction product the mass commences to expand. The temperature of the mass will usually range from 40 C. to C; The expansion continues upon standing until the blowing reaction ceases. When the expansion stops, a yellow, spongelike product is obtained. This sponge-like product is then cured by heating it at a suitably elevated temperature, typically 100-470 C., for a suitable period of time,

typically from 10 minutes to 2 hours, to complete the curing reaction. It will be understood that the water reacts'with a portion of the unreacted isocyanate groupsin the reaction product, converting them to amino groups which are highly reactive with other isocyanate groups forming urea groups which in turn are reactive with remaining isocyanate groups, giving a highly cross-linked product.

In practicing my invention, I find it very advantageous.

to include in the mixture of reactants a small amount of a dispersing agent, e.g., oleic acid, to facilitate dispersion of the aqueous alkali metal nitrite solution in the organic reaction product. The amount of such dispersing agent will usually be from 1 to 10 parts per 100 parts of elastomeric polyurethane polymer-forming material. With too little oleic acid the blowing reaction is not as good, and with too much oleic acid the curing of the sponge is inhibited. This dispersing agent can conveniently be incorporated with the organic material prior to intermixture of the aqueous nitrite solution.

' The following examples illustrate the preparation of elastomeric polyurethane polymer sponge by means of the present invention. -The liquid polyester-and-diisocyanate intermediate used in Examples I and II was derived from a polyester made by heating the following 5 mixture at 220230 C.:

. Mols Propylene glycol 11.00 Ethylene glycolv 4.25: Adipic acid 11.25.

The use of the propylene glycol results in a polyester of lower melting point and lowerviscosity. In the course a of the preparation of the polyester the unreacted glycol was removed by vacuum distillation, the extent of the distillation determining the molecular weight of the poly ester as. calculated by the acid number and the hydroxyl number. The polyester had a molecular weight of about- 1800, a hydroxyl'n'umber of about 60 and an acid number less than 1. This polyester was mixed at a temperature of C. with a excess of p,p'-diphen-ylmethpolyesterand the isocyanate groups to form a poly-- urethane intermediate characterized by the presence of unreacted isocyanate groups. This intermediate was a liquid and was soluble in the common organic solvents such as acetone, benzene and chloroform. This productisdesignated adduct A in Examples. I and II.

EXAMPLE I of water and 2.8 parts of potassium nitritewas dispersed in the heated liquid. Thereaction product was heated somewhat in order to make it fluid enough so that the aqueous solution of potassium nitrite could be easily dispersed in it. After the potassium nitrite. solution had been dispersed in the reaction product, the mass coinmenced to expand; it increased in size from a starting volume of 87 ml. to a volume of 920 ml. in about five minutes. When the expansion or blowing .reaction had stopped, a yellow, sponge-like, product-Was Obtained. This material was cured for one-half hour "in'air at 100C. The cured product had an even, cellular structure and an apparent density of 0.125 g./rnl. A,.second sponge from which potassium nitrite was omitted but which was otherwise prepared exactly'as the sponge just described, had adensity .of 0.27 g./ml. This sponge did not have the yellow color which is characteristic of sponges blown with an aqueous solution of alkali-metal nitrite.

EXAMPLE 11 This example shows that water must be used in conjunction with the alkalimetal nitrite in order to obtain a low-density sponge.

potassium nitrite solution in 100 parts of the prepolymer at room temperature. The mixture foamed slowly and made a low density sponge with a coarse structure.

EXAMP E IV A polyether made by polymerizing propylene oxide to a molecular weight of 2000was reacted by heating for 30 minutes at 140 C. with tolylene diisocyanate (80% 2,4-isomer, 20% 2,6-isomer) in the ratio of 43 parts (0.247 mole) of the diisocyanateto 100 parts. (0.05 mole) of polyether to form a prepolymer. Low density sponge was made by reacting 100 parts of the prepolymer with Three sponges were madein accordance with the following formulations:

Parts (by weight) Ingredients A B C Polyester-aud-diisoeyanate reaction product 100 100 100 Oleic Avid 4 4 Potassium nitrite 2. 8 2. 8 Water 2. 8 2. 8

Table I I Apparent Densit (g./u1l.

Sponge Volume It will be observed from the density data in Table that the product made by using an aqueous solution of potassium nitrite was expanded to twice the degree of the product made only with water. Virtually no blowing took place in the. product made with potassium nitrite alone. (The density of unblown elastomeric polyurethane polymer made from the above reaction product with water as cross-linking agent being about 1.2.)

EXAMPLE III A polyester was prepared as described previously by reacting a mixture of ethylene and propylene glycols with 12 parts of 50% aqueous potassium nitrite. The mixture was self-curing and no heating was required.

EXAMPLE V prepolymer the ratio of isocyanate to hydroxyl groups was 7 2.8. A yellow low density sponge was obtained by mixing 100 parts of the prepolymer and 4 parts of 50% aqueous potassium nitrite solution.

In a similar manner, the invention may be practiced using any conventional polyurethane-elastomer-forming ingredients, such as any of the polyesters, polyethers, and

diisocyanates of the prior art referred to previously.

The stress-strain properties of elastomeric synthetic polyurethane polymer sponge blown with the aqueous solution of alkali metal nitrite in accordance with my invention are very similar to those of natural rubber sponge made from latex in the well-known manner. For example, the load carrying capacity at 25% compression of a sponge similar to that prepared by the process of Example I was found to be 54 grams per square centimeter. The load-carrying capacity of a natural rubber latex I flexible, compressible sponge which has most of the properties of natural rubber sponge made by the conventional method from natural rubber latex, and which in addition possesses the unique advantages of a material made from an elastomeric synthetic polyurethane polymer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of making an expanded elastomeric polyurethane polymer which comprises intimately incorporating an aqueous solution of an alkali metal nitrite into a liquid adduct of an organic diisocyanate with a material having an average molecular weight of from 900 to 6000 and having alcoholic hydroxyl terminal groups in its moleadipic acid to make a polyester of molecular weight 1980 in which the end groups were predominantly hydroxyl.

(0.1 mole) of this polyester with 52.2 grams (0.3 moles) of tolylene diisocyanate (80% 2,4-isomer, 20% 2,6-

- isomer) and heating the mixture at 50 C. for 16 hours.

Foam was prepared by mixing 4 parts of 50% aqueous A prepolymer was then prepared by mixing 198 grams 1 of said adduct, and wherein the amount of water which saidnitrite, is dissolved is equal to, from 1 to 5% of the weight of said ,adduct. 0 a

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the molecular pro: portion of said diisocyanate to said material is from 1.5 ml to 3 to 1,,and the, saidmaterial has a molecular Weight of from 1500 to 3000. V

5. A method as in claim 1,v injwhich the. said 'r naterial is a linear polymeric polyester oi a'saturated aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and a glycol.

6. A method as in claim' 1, in which the said material is a linear polyalkylenepolyether.

7. The method of making an' expanded elastornen'c polyurethane polymer which comprises intimately incorporating an aqueous solution of; an alkali metal nitrite v '8 groups of the polyester are predominantly alcoholic hydroxyl, the molecular proportion of said diisocyanate to said polyester being from 1.2'to 1 to. 5 to 1, permitting the resulting mixture to expand, and subsequently heating a the expanded material to complete curing of the poly- References Cited in the file'of patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. THE METHOD OF MAKING AN EXPANDED ELASTOMERIC POLYURETHANE POLYMER WHICH COMPRISES INTIMATELY INCORPORATING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF AN ALKALI METAL NITRITE INTO A LIQUID ADDUCT OF AN ORGANIC DIISOCYANATE WITH A MATERIAL HAVING AN AVERAGE MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF FROM 900 TO 6000 AND HAVING ALCOHOLIC HYDROXYL TERMINAL GROUPS IN ITS MOLECULES, SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (1) LINEAR POLYMERIC POLYESTERS OF A SATURATED ALIPHATIC DICARBOXYLIC ACID AND A GLYCOL AND (2) LINEAR POLY ALKYLENE POLYETHERS, THE MOLECULAR PROPORTION OF SAID DIISOCYANATE TO SAID MATERIAL BEING FROM 1.2 TO 1 TO 5 TO 1, AND PERMITTING THE RESULTING MIXTURE TO EXPARD AND CURE. 